


Of Princes and a witch

by Skydancer8



Series: NCT One-shots [4]
Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Cute, Healing, Magic, Markhyuck appears at the end, Palace, Royalty, Sad, Secrets, Witch!renjun, nomin, norenmin, prince!jaemin, prince!jeno, renmin, what else should i tag?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-02
Updated: 2019-02-02
Packaged: 2019-10-21 01:52:10
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,051
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17633828
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Skydancer8/pseuds/Skydancer8
Summary: Born with magic, Renjun has been serving as a palace nurse to Prince Jaemin and Jeno for a long time, tending to the two princes when needed. However in a kingdom where magic is forbidden, Renjun finds himself torn between hiding or saving the Princes from outside magic.





	Of Princes and a witch

"HUANG RENJUN!!!"

Renjun scrambled out of his headquarters and into the hall to find Prince Jeno, in all his handsome glory, standing with his arms crossed.

"What is it, Your Highness?" Renjun asked, bowing respectfully though his face said otherwise. "I am not assigned to you, today"

Jeno smirked, his eyes curving into crescents. "Which does not mean that I cannot call for you myself. We expect an important visitor and I would like to serve them Jasmine tea"

Renjun dropped his respectful posture and sent him a withering look. "You could just ask the palace cooks, you know?"

"But none of them have your ability to make such...enchanting...tea" Jeno said with a flourish. "Now run off, Injun"

Renjun bowed, eyes glaring, before walking over to the palace kitchen. 

He truly regretted accepting to be a part of the palace staff. It all started when he was just 13 years old, when he'd lived off of using magic to heal wounded people while pretending to give a weird mix of herbs only he could cook up to make medicine. When word got around that Prince Jaemin who was the same age as Renjun was in a critical condition due to illness, people had sought him out. 

Ever imagined opening your door to find palace guards waiting for you? That's what happened to Huang Renjun.

Magic was forbidden in the country, as any form of witchcraft would be assumed to bring misfortune to the the people. Renjun had seen his home that had been hidden deep in the forest go up in flames while he ran away. Every witch had a main affinity, and Nature was Renjun's. That helped him survive for a long time.

"Back again, Renjun?" Sicheng, one of the palace cooks, greeted. "I heard there's going to be some talk on collaboration."

Renjun set down the ingredients he needed to make the tea, fuming. "Well, apparently it is so important that my Jasmine Tea is needed. The Prince doesn't even like it!"

"Maybe you should cut some lemons for a side dish, in case he's like to add that to the tea" Sicheng lifted the kettle to fill the gaiwan as Renjun placed the leaves in. Suddenly, his fingers slipped on the wet handle, causing the kettle to fall and hot water splash his feet.

"OW!" 

Renjun hurried over, looking at the burn on Sicheng's foot."How many times have I told you to wear proper footwear when in the kitchen?"

"Well, you can heal it, right?" Sicheng asked, eyes wide. "I don't want the others to know."

Renjun sighed and pulled a thick cloth from his pocket. "Close your eyes"

As Sicheng did, Renjun pretended that he was rummaging the cabinets for some herbs. 

"I still don't get why you blindfold your patients, Injunnie" Sicheng commented. "Are the ingredients a secret?"

"Perhaps" Renjun replied curtly and came back with empty hands. Making sure Sicheng wasn't peeking, he hovered his palm over the burn. His hand glowed deep violet as Renjun focused on healing the wound. The process took no longer than five seconds but Renjun pretended to massage something on his skin.

"It's done"

Sicheng took off his blindfold and grinned. "You work magic, Injunnie! That was really fast"

_A little too close to home_

 

 

After serving the tea, Renjun found himself with no extra time to rest since he had a schedule with Prince Jaemin.

"Injunnie!I thought you'd never arrive!" Jaemin greeted with a wide smile.

Prince Jaemin had been diagnosed with an incurable disease that attacked his bones. No one knew what illness it was, only that Jaemin could not move when he was younger and was in unbearable pain when he woke up from sleeping. 

That was, before Renjun came over and ordered every nurse out of the room. Now, Jaemin could walk, and he'd been given a home at the palace to watch over Jaemin.

"I see you've sat up without any help" Renjun commented and Jaemin laughed. 

"Well, if it weren't for you Golden Hands, I'd still be lying on the bed." Jaemin said and pulled away his bed sheets. "I still don't get what you told me that day. Is it some kind of riddle?"

When Jaemin had been healed, Renjun had told him something dangerously close to the truth.

_"Let's just say, you have half my happiness, half my sadness, and half my life now. You's better take care of it"_

The healing process was almost impossible for Renjun to do, but he had feared what would happen if he failed. In a last attempt to save Jaemin, he had transferred half his life energy to Jaemin, keeping them bound together in a way. If Renjun ever died, then Jaemin would die with him. 

"Well, I was probably gonna be killed if I failed" Renjunr reasoned and gently pressed his fingers to Jaemin's legs. "I can't believe we're the same age, you know? Jeno is being a prick, taking away my resting time, and you're a literal angel. Then there's me, who's tending to both of your needs"

Jaemin shrugged and looked out the window where the morning birds were flying across the sky. He frowned. "Maybe there isn't really as much equality in our world than we think"

Renjun followed his gaze outside, taking in the beautiful mountains that stood proudly among the trees that had once been cover for Renjun's home. 

"You seem worried, Injun. Is there something bothering you?" 

Renjun's eyes dropped from the window as he dipped his fingers in palm oil. "There is something off at West. Surely, it could just be me having a really bad morning, but it doesn't give me a good feeling."

"West?" Jaemin looked outside once more. "Is that not where the Black witches are?"

Renjun gently massaged Jaemin's leg with the oil, eyes trained on Jaemin's face. So innocent, like someone who had no idea how evil the outside world was. That was the soul Renjun had saved. An innocent one.

"Perhaps...we should not overthink about it."

 

 

 

It was definitely something to overthink about.

It had become a usual scene for Renjun to be surrounded by birds once he sat down on the grass. He often brought out seeds, but no one knew why they only responded so enthusiastically to him. Of course, nature loved him, and Renjun was happy that everyone overlooked the peculiarity of the situation.

"At West...is something happening?" Renjun asked a white dove who cocked it's head at him. "Black magic has never found its way through the palace walls."

The birds flapped their wings at his words, as if excited to tell him what was going on. They chirped and tweeted, and Renjun listened to every single one of them carefully. He was the only one with witchcraft in the palace walls, so only he would know of its presence.

"Surely they could have waged war rather than using witchcraft" Renjun murmured, his head spinning. "I thought we were allies with Goguryeo."

The birds chirped again.

"Continuous attacks? I can't handle that without ousting myself! You know what they do to people like me" Renjun let the sentence hang. "I have Prince Jaemin under my wing now. I can't afford to put him in danger."

 

 

 

When the sky turned dark grey, Renjun knew that it had begun.

There was no doubting the use of witchcraft, and how easily it could and mistaken for climate change. Renjun could hear the deafening roar of thunder and the coldness of the air rose goosebumps on his pale skin. 

"Hail" is what he concluded. "They're bringing hail"

In a rush, he locked his room door, before running to his window. He had no idea how strong the witch was, and how many were in on it. He only knew that he had to protect the imperial family one way or another. He could hear the shouts of guards as they raised their shields to bring in those who were outside. Shamans were doing their rituals to take away the bad energies, but Renjun did not have time to communicate with the spirits. Spirits came to him naturally, as he was chosen as a witch and not a shaman. That was a difference not many could digest.

The storm hovered over the palace, the sound rumbling and making the walls vibrate.

"Nature...please help me" Renjun whispered and sat crossed legged on the floor, his fingers intertwined and palms together as a strong violet glow shone from between his pressed flesh. "The sky is mine for today."

The sky rumbled once more before the cloud thinned out slowly, gradually. Renjun's irises turned violet, his back dampening from the strain. 

"There will be no destruction for today" he commanded , pushing both his palm out and the sky brightened. "Thank you, Earth, I dismiss you from my command"

 

 

"Did you see the sky this evening?" Jaemin asked as Renjun dampened the cloth that was on Jaemin's head. "Father reckons it  might be witchcraft. What you said this morning was right"

Renjun sighed heavily and adjusted Jaemin's sheets. The trick he had pulled caused Jaemin's energy to drop. The palace was in terror, and the King was in fear of what was going to happen in the future. He feared for his two boys.

"So, it was just a hunch?" Jeno asked from his spot beside Jaemin's bed. Worry darkened his eyes like the evening storm. "Maybe you're gifted in that area."

"Let's hope so" Renjun replied calmly. "The palace needs it now"

The maximum times the witch could ever try to attack the palace would be three. He figured only one witch must have conducted the attack, since he could  stop it. It was always an odd number, and a full blown attacks uses enough energy for only three tries.

"They're not sending guards, are they?" Jaemin asked. "It would be far too dangerous"

"And unwise" Renjun added. "You shouldn't attack the witch, only prevent any damage. Spells are based on the energy of the witches. Energy runs out in the end."

"You know quite a lot" Jeno commented. 

"Jaemin rambles all the time" Renjun gestured towards the thick books on the shelf. "It's gotten to me"

 

 

 

Renjun was grateful Jeno and Jaemin slept together that night. It made his work easier.

He slept on a chair next to them, with the excuse of watching over Jaemin's health. He had started dozing off when the first scent of Black Magic wafted into the room. His eyes snapped open Renjun looked back at the door. Making sure not to make a sound, he made his way there, hands glowing.

"The air doesn't feel good" he muttered before opening the door, to find the hallways empty. He froze, watching the ceiling, the floor, every wall. The first tendril of black smoke appeared and morphed itself into half a dozen snakes.

"No...Nonono-" Renjun gritted his teeth in fear as more tendrils came and more snakes advanced. Right and left, snakes filled the hallway, slithering and hissing towards the Prince' bedroom. The witch was targeting the heirs.

"Spirits...I ask your guidance for tonight. Protect the imperial family" Renjun uttered and his irises glowed violet.

The snakes, realizing that he, too, bore the magic, advanced quickly, their hisses rising in volume. Renjun was not afraid...more like the spirits assisting him were not afraid. With each thrust of his palm, snakes reared back, their mouths open in pain. 

In a dance that Renjun had once seen the shamans do, he quickly beheaded the snakes and left their bodies littered on the floor. He felt the air slicing through the flesh like a knife, following each movement like the cloths the palace dancers used for their performances.

"Begone!" Renjun yelled and the black tendrils left the bodies of the snakes, hissing like burned metal before dissipating.

Renjun fell to the floor, exhausted. The snakes were still littered on the floor so Renjun did the first thing he could think of. He stumbled to the bell that was placed in the room and rang it as loud as possible. There was a series of shocked voices as the guards saw the snake corpses strewn everywhere. When they rushed into the room and saw Renjun, he only shook his head.

"I have no idea what happened."

 

 

 

Once again the palace was in uproar.

"Your hunches are fantastic, Injun" Jaemin exclaimed once Renjun lied about the story of how he woke up to the dead snakes. "Maybe its because you woke up that the magic didn't work"

Renjun shrugged and pounded more herbs. "They could have strangled me if I was alive, it would have made no difference."

"Or maybe they are just targeting the imperial family" Jeno spoke up. "Isn't that what witches do? Aim for the roots?"

"Yeah, and perhaps they want to spare the palace staff, out of sympathy?" Renjun faked a chuckle. "Must be hard being one witch. Have to maintain the palace stuff because hiring more would be a pain"

"Why are we joking about this, again?" Jeno asked but laughed too.

 

 

 

There was a dinner with the other two kingdoms.

The birds chirped frantically at Renjun, telling him of the dangers the Goguryeo King could be planning. Renjun had no choice but to ask for permission to be the server for the dinner, just in case anything was poisoned. 

"You look good in that getup" Jaemin commented after he changed clothes. "Much better than those boring nurse clothes"

"You have the face, too" Jeno added, making Renjun blush. "Better hope there are princesses coming over so you can get married off"

Renjun placed Jeno in a choke hold while Jaemin laughed his head off at the scene of Jeno threatening to call the guards and Renjun pretending to be a serial murderer. 

 

 

 

"We believe that there has been witchcraft outside the palace walls" The King of Silla spoke up at the end of the table. "But that will be discussed during the meeting. For now, enjoy your dinner."

There was a chorus of replies before Renjun got to work, making sure to catch any scent of Black Magic in the food. He made sure that the King of Goguryeo was eating the same thing as everyone else. He seemed calm at the right side of the Silla King. Jeno and Jaemin were opposite each other, right in the middle of the table where a large chandelier hung with bright lights.

"Surely, we should be true allies with each other?" the Baekje King suggested. "The riches of Silla, the strength of Goguryeo and the intellect of Baekje?"

"Are we not already allies?" Jeno spoke up, bowing respectfully. 

"There will always be jealousy between the kingdoms" The King of Goguryeo stated and Renjun tried hard to not snort in disgust. "It is when we are of equal power that each battle would be with no regrets when we conquer the Peninsular."

Renjun felt it.

He felt the darkness of Black Magic and whipped his had around the room to find the source. No one new had entered the room. It couldn't be a full blown attack, not with the King of Gorguryeo in the room. Renjun felt his nerves tingle as he waited for any sign of danger.

The chandelier swung dangerously over the Princes heads.

"Well, then, would that not be hard if everyone shared kingdoms?" The Silla King spoke. "My riches are used only when needed, as I do not see the need to portray fancy furniture to proof myself as a king. Would a stable economy not be enough proof of my visions?"

The chandelier came down and there was screaming.

"NO!"

Renjun thrust both his palms out, catching chandelier just in time before it came on top of Jeno and Jaemin. With a cry, he pushed it away, slamming it against the wall. The room was silent before the King of Silla stood up, his finger pointing accusingly at Renjun.

"Witchcraft in he palace! Guards!"

Renjun did not fight. He did not want people to see him as a monster, even when they took both his arms and pulled him away. He made eye contact with Jeno and Jaemin, smiling slightly before he disappeared out  of the room. As he was taken away, he heard Jaemin's voice.

"Please! He just saved our lives!"

It made no difference. Magic was forbidden, thus Renjun's existence was forbidden. Renjun closed his eyes as a stray tear rolled down his cheek.

 

 

 

A beautiful Monday evening.

That was the moment that Renjun had been prepared for ever since he'd been locked up in a  cell with barely any food or drinks. When he's been given execution clothes, he wore them with no fuss. He had been prepared for the day his secret would be out. He it would come one way or another. 

When he was tied to the stake, surrounded by a collected branches and wood. There was only on way to punish witches, and that was by burning them. His execution clothes were baggy, his white shirt falling down to his knees and his pants covering his bare feet. The branches were rough under his soles.

"Today, we will behold the execution of Huang Renjun over the usage of magic."

Jeno stood with his Father and Jaemin, right in front of Renjun. With his hair and clothes blown right, he looked like a sacrificial child. Jaemin clutched Jeno's arm close, eyes closed and unable to bare to see his friend burned.

"Open your eyes, Nana" Jeno whispered. "This will be a reminder for us when one of us becomes King"

"Would you take down the rule?" Jaemin whispered back. 

"I would change it. We cannot prevent this execution, but we can prevent more innocent lives from being taken"

The King of Silla pretended to not hear the conversation. His own wife had her life taken by a witch. In his head, all of them must be burned and should die to maintain a stable kingdom where fear of magic does not exist, let it be a grown witch or a child. That was something Jeno and Jaemin did not understand.

The torch of fire was placed on the gathered branches and wood, making it light up quickly. The fire ate up the fuel quickly, turning them dark with soot and approaching Renjun's trembling form. He was scared, he was just a child. His family was already safe in the sky, and now he had to go through it alone.

"Mum, Dad, please be with me" Renjun whispered as the fire surrounding him grew higher.

When the first of the flames licked his bare feet, Renjun screamed.

Jaemin closed his ears and collapsed to the floor, rocking back and forth while crying. Jeno knelt down and took him in his arms. 

"It hurts! It hurts!" Jaemin sobbed, and Jeno sent him a confused look. "The fire, it hurts!"

Renjun screamed as he could smell his own burning flesh, smoke rising from his burned clothes. He wished he could suffocate quickly and die painlessly. It was all too much for him. The pain, the betrayal, the utter loneliness he felt. The smoke that rose from his burned legs was gold in color, intertwined with violet and mixing with the dark smoke from the burning branches.

Renjun's irises glowed violet and he screamed again. The sky darkened and there was the sound of a thousand flying arrows. The guards and the Imperial Family (save Jaemin because he was suffocating and his legs felt as if they were being burnt off) looked up to see a thousand birds flying towards their direction, coming from the mountains.

"GUARDS!!!" The King commanded and they lifted their weapons to the sky.

Renjun screamed as the fire burned at his legs and the birds shot down and attacked the guards mercilessly. Their claws and beaks ripped at them, rendering the guards helpless as every portrayed flesh was slashed at into a bloody mess. A strong wind whipped around the execution area, knocking them back and away from Renjun.

The fire rose to Renjun's torso, burning at his ties hands and burning the rope away slowly.

The King of Silla gritted his teeth and raised his bow and arrow, two arrows pulled back.

"FATHER NO!!!" Jeno yelled but there was the sound of released string and the arrows embedded themselves deep with Renjun's chest and abdomen. Renjun gasped and his lashes fluttered. The storm stopped and the birds flew away, chirping in distress. With the rope burnt away, Renjun fell to the ground, half his body burnt. No guards were conscious.

Slowly, horrifically, Renjun started to pull himself towards the Imperial family, dragging his lower body using his arms.

The King raised his sword but a flash of violet knocked it far away. The King backed away in fear as Renjun approached, grunting from the effort.

_You people have no mercy for us, and you expect us to have mercy for you_

Renjun's voice spoke in their heads as Renjun pulled himself up the small flight of stairs to the raised platform where they stood.

_You think of us as monsters, but you burn us as if you are giving us Hell. Who is the real monster now?_

Renjun dragged himself to Jeno and Jaemin, the younger Prince breathing shallowly in his brothers arms. With blistered hands, Renjun let his energy flow into Jaemin like a sacrifice. Jaemin's eyes fluttered open.

"What are you doing?" he whispered weakly. He looked at the glowing hands of Renjun. "Is that magic?"

Renjun nodded, eyes softening. "I gave you half my life when we met, now it is yours"

Jeno's hand shot up to to grab Renjun's wrist, eyes wide. "No! We cannot take your life! Not after what we've done to you!"

Renjun's eyes shook before he offered a small smile. "I cannot do much, not with a broken body. My life had been deemed to this cause, ever since I was born."

He leaned forward and whispered into Jaemin's ear. "This is my last gift for you"

His eyes moved to the King of Silla, instantly hardening. "I swear...there will always be magic in the palace walls, whether you know it or not. The blood of my kin will keep flowing, and it will not be taken away."

He glanced at Jaemin and Jeno, his friends for years for the last few years of his life, taking in how much he loved both of them before his eyes closed and his body slumped sideways. The sky darkened and cried, teh rain pattering on the blood soaked floor. The birds screamed in agony and the ground shook in mourning.

Renjun was finally at peace.

 

 

 

**A decade later...**

"LEE DONGHYUCK!!!"

Donghyuck stumbled into the Prince's room, his hair a mess and quickly combed using his fingers. Prince Mark raised his eyebrows, putting down a butter cookie.

"Where did you put my sword?!" he demanded and Donghyuck glanced at the chair where he had leaned the sword on. It was gone.

"I-I'll go and find it!!!" he yelped and mark sauntered out of the room, making Donghyuck sigh in distress. It was hard being a personal servant of the most arrogant being on earth that was the Prince of Silla. 

Making sure Mark didn't see, his irises glowed bronze and he saw the an aura enveloping the sword, currently situated on top of the cupboard. Glancing one more time at the door, Donghyuck willed the sword to fall. It dropped into his open palm and his irises returned to their normal color.

He scurried out and ran after Mark, huffing in exhaustion.

"Here's your sword" he handed the sword that was in a scabbard. "Piece of cake"

Prince Mark looked at him incredulously. "I placed it on the cupboard"

Donghyuck shrugged. "Things servants can do, Your Highness" he bowed mockingly and Mark hit him on the head, hard. "OW!!!"

"Know your place, Hyuckie"

"I know you love me, Mark"

 

 

 

 

 

_I swear...there will always be magic in the palace walls, whether you know it or not. The blood of my kin will keep flowing, and it will not be taken away_

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading this!  
> Would you like the Markhyuck story though?   
> Do leave kudo's and I like reading comments a lot!


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